Accommodating imperfectly aligned memory holes

ABSTRACT

Methods of forming 3-d flash memory cells are described. The methods allow the cells to be produced despite a misalignment in at least two sections (top and bottom), each having multiple charge storage locations. The methods include selectively gas-phase etching dielectric from the bottom memory hole portion by delivering the etchants through the top memory hole. The methods further include placing sacrificial polysilicon around the memory hole before forming the bottom stack and removing the sacrificial polysilicon from the slit trench to allow a conducting gapfill to make electrical contact to the polysilicon inside the memory hole.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Prov. Pat. App. No. 62/456,386 filed Feb. 8, 2017, and titled “ACCOMMODATING IMPERFECTLY-ALIGNED COMPOUND MEMORY HOLES” by Purayath et al. This application also claims the benefit of U.S. Prov. Pat. App. No. 62/478,508 filed Mar. 29, 2017, and titled “ACCOMMODATING IMPERFECTLY-ALIGNED COMPOUND MEMORY HOLES” by Purayath et al. The disclosures of 62/456,386 and 62/478,508 are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

FIELD

Embodiments of the invention relate to methods of forming 3-d flash memory.

BACKGROUND

Integrated circuits are made possible by processes which produce intricately patterned material layers on substrate surfaces. Producing patterned material on a substrate requires controlled methods for removal of exposed material. Chemical etching is used for a variety of purposes including transferring a photoresist pattern into underlying layers, thinning layers or thinning lateral dimensions of features already present on the surface. Often it is desirable to have an etch process which etches one material faster than another helping e.g. a pattern transfer process proceed. Such an etch process is said to be selective of the first material. As a result of the diversity of materials, circuits and processes, etch processes have been developed that selectively remove one or more of a broad range of materials.

Dry etch processes are increasingly desirable for selectively removing material from semiconductor substrates. The desirability stems from the ability to gently remove material from miniature structures with minimal physical disturbance. Dry etch processes also allow the etch rate to be abruptly stopped by removing the gas phase reagents. Extremely selective etches have been developed recently to etch silicon nitride, silicon oxide or silicon while retaining the other materials.

A high density VNAND (or 3d-NAND) structure involves many storage layers arranged vertically. Introducing selective etch processes of silicon nitride and silicon oxide into 3d-NAND process flows may enable a greater number of storage layers to be included which may increase the storage density of completed devices. Methods are needed to broaden the utility of selective dry isotropic etch processes in vertical storage devices.

SUMMARY

Methods of forming 3-d flash memory cells are described. The methods allow the cells to be produced despite a misalignment in at least two sections (top and bottom), each having multiple charge storage locations. The methods include selectively gas-phase etching dielectric from the bottom memory hole portion by delivering the etchants through the top memory hole. The methods further include placing sacrificial polysilicon around the memory hole before forming the bottom stack and removing the sacrificial polysilicon from the slit trench to allow a conducting gapfill to make electrical contact to the polysilicon inside the memory hole.

Embodiments disclosed herein include methods of forming a 3-d flash memory cell. The methods include forming an etch stop layer on a substrate. The methods further include forming a sacrificial polysilicon layer on the etch stop layer. The methods further include forming a bottom portion of a compound stack of alternating silicon oxide and silicon nitride slabs and forming a bottom portion of a memory hole through the bottom portion of the compound stack. The methods further include forming a top portion of the compound stack of alternating silicon oxide and silicon nitride slabs and forming a top portion of a memory hole through the top portion of the compound stack. The bottom portion and the top portion of the compound stack are fluidly coupled and the top portion is laterally displaced from the bottom portion. The methods further include forming a conformal charge-trap layer on the top portion and the bottom portion of the memory hole. The methods further include forming a conformal polysilicon layer on the conformal charge-trap layer. The methods further include filling the memory hole with dielectric and capping the dielectric with a polysilicon plug and forming a mask above the polysilicon plug. The methods further include patterning the mask and etching a vertical slit trench next to the memory hole to expose the etch stop layer and leave a remaining portion of the sacrificial polysilicon layer. The methods further include replacing the silicon nitride slabs in each of the top portion and the bottom portion of the compound stack with a conductor. The methods further include exposing the conformal charge-trap layer by removing the remaining portion of the sacrificial polysilicon layer to form an exposed portion of the conformal charge-trap layer. The methods further include exposing the conformal polysilicon layer by removing the exposed portion of the conformal charge-trap layer. The methods further include depositing gapfill polysilicon in the vertical slit trench. The gapfill polysilicon makes electrical contact with the remaining portion of the conformal polysilicon layer.

The conformal charge-trap layer may be an ONO layer including a first silicon oxide layer, a silicon nitride layer and a second silicon oxide layer. The top portion may be laterally displaced from the bottom portion by at least 5 nm. The etch stop layer may be aluminum oxide. The conductor may be tungsten. Removing the remaining portion of the sacrificial polysilicon layer may be a gas-phase etch. Removing the exposed portion of the conformal charge-trap layer may be performed by exciting a hydrogen-containing precursor and a fluorine-containing precursor in a remote plasma to form plasma effluents. The plasma effluents may be flowed into a substrate processing region through a showerhead. The substrate is in the substrate processing region and a temperature of the substrate may be greater than 95° C.

Embodiments disclosed herein include methods of forming a 3-d flash memory cell. The methods include forming an etch stop layer on a substrate. The methods further include forming a polysilicon layer on the etch stop layer. The methods further include forming a bottom portion of a compound stack of alternating silicon oxide and silicon nitride slabs and forming a bottom portion of a memory hole through the bottom portion of the compound stack. The methods further include forming a top portion of the compound stack of alternating silicon oxide and silicon nitride slabs and forming a top portion of a memory hole through the top portion of the compound stack. The bottom portion and the top portion of the compound stack are fluidly coupled and the top portion is misaligned relative to the bottom portion by a lateral displacement. The methods further include forming a conformal charge-trap layer on the top portion and the bottom portion of the memory hole. The methods further include forming a conformal polysilicon layer on the conformal charge-trap layer. The methods further include filling the memory hole with dielectric and capping the dielectric with a polysilicon plug. The methods further include exposing the etch stop layer by directionally etching a vertical slit trench next to the memory hole. Exposing the etch stop layer leaves a remaining portion of the polysilicon layer and the remaining portion of the polysilicon layer surrounds the bottom portion of the compound stack. The methods further include exposing the conformal charge-trap layer by removing the remaining portion of the polysilicon layer. Exposing the conformal charge-trap layer forms an exposed portion of the conformal charge-trap layer. The methods further include exposing the conformal polysilicon layer by removing the exposed portion of the conformal charge-trap layer. The methods further include depositing gapfill polysilicon in the vertical slit trench. The gapfill polysilicon makes electrical contact with the remaining portion of the conformal polysilicon layer.

Directionally etching the vertical slit trench may include reactive ion etching. Removing the remaining portion of the polysilicon layer may include isotropically etching with a gas-phase etch. The lateral displacement may be 5 nm or more. Removing the remaining portion of the polysilicon layer may include exciting both a fluorine precursor and a hydrogen precursor in a remote plasma to form plasma effluents and flowing the plasma effluents into a substrate processing region housing the substrate. Removing the exposed portion of the conformal charge-trap layer may be performed by: 1) exposing the substrate to a combination of moisture and radical-fluorine to remove an outer silicon oxide layer of the conformal charge-trap layer, 2) exposing the substrate to plasma effluents formed from a fluorine-containing precursor and oxygen-containing precursor in a remote plasma to remove a silicon nitride layer of the conformal charge-trap layer, and 3) exposing the substrate to a combination of moisture and radical-fluorine to remove an inner silicon oxide layer of the conformal charge-trap layer. The conformal charge-trap layer may be continuous around the memory hole prior to removing the exposed portion of the conformal charge-trap layer. The conformal polysilicon layer may be continuous around the memory hole.

Additional embodiments and features are set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the specification or may be learned by the practice of the disclosed embodiments. The features and advantages of the disclosed embodiments may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities, combinations, and methods described in the specification.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the embodiments may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the drawings.

FIGS. 1A-1J are cross-sectional views of a patterned substrate during formation of a 3-d flash memory according to embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of process for forming 3-d flash memory according to embodiments.

FIG. 3A shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a substrate processing chamber according to embodiments.

FIG. 3B shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a substrate processing chamber according to embodiments.

FIG. 3C shows a bottom plan view of a showerhead according to embodiments.

FIG. 4 shows a top plan view of an exemplary substrate processing system according to embodiments.

In the appended figures, similar components and/or features may have the same reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label by a dash and a second label that distinguishes among the similar components. If only the first reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Methods of forming 3-d flash memory cells are described. The methods allow the cells to be produced despite a misalignment in at least two sections (top and bottom), each having multiple charge storage locations. The methods include selectively gas-phase etching dielectric from the bottom memory hole portion by delivering the etchants through the top memory hole. The methods further include placing sacrificial polysilicon around the memory hole before forming the bottom stack and removing the sacrificial polysilicon from the slit trench to allow a conducting gapfill to make electrical contact to the polysilicon inside the memory hole.

3-d flash memory (also referred to as VNAND) has entered production recently beginning with a relatively small number of layers. Storage capacity increases proportional to the number of layers. Beyond about fifty layers the etch processes used to form the layers may become unreliable. One approach to continue increasing the number of layers is to form a compound memory holed having two or more portions vertically separated from one another. Overlay errors which arise in photolithography may displace the “bottom” portion from the “top” portion in the horizontal direction. Horizontal displacement can make further processing difficult for directional techniques such as reactive ion etching so an alternative technique for making electrical contact with the channel polysilicon is described. A benefit of the processes described herein include tolerating misalignment which may enable lower cost manufacturing approaches compared to attempting to correct for the misalignment. The terms “bottom” and “top” will be used to describe any two neighboring portions of a 3-d flash memory even in situations where there are three, four or more portions of alternating silicon oxide and silicon nitride/tungsten slabs in a device. Each portion may be separated by a dielectric (e.g. silicon oxide 115 below) which is thicker than any of the slabs themselves. “Top” and “Up” will be used herein to describe portions/directions perpendicularly distal from the substrate plane and further away from the center of mass of the substrate in the perpendicular direction. “Vertical” will be used to describe items aligned in the “Up” direction towards the “Top”. Other similar terms may be used whose meanings will now be clear. The vertical memory hole may be circular as viewed from above.

The solutions presented herein involve removing the need for reactive ion etching (ME) in opening the ONO layer at the bottom of the compound memory hole. The approaches described herein are enabled, in part, by recently developed gas-phase etchants. Recently-developed gas-phase remote etch processes have been designed, in part, to remove the need to expose delicate surface patterns to liquid etchants. Liquid etchants are increasingly responsible for collapsing delicate surface patterns as linewidths are reduced. Liquid etchants also possess surface tension which make etchant penetration into the restricted spaces of compound memory holes difficult. Benefits of the processes described herein include an increase in yield by avoiding the use of reactive ion etching to make the electrical connection to the channel polysilicon. Benefits of the processes described herein include an improvement in yield by avoiding the use of liquid etchants which may deform delicate patterned structures.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 1A-1J concurrently with references to FIG. 2. A method of forming a 3-d flash memory cell is shown 201 in FIG. 2. The method 201 includes forming an etch stop layer 102 on a patterned substrate 101 as shown in FIG. 1A. The etch stop layer 102 may be aluminum oxide in embodiments. The thickness of the etch stop layer may be more than 300 Å more than 400 Å, or more than 500 Å according to embodiments. The method 201 further includes forming a sacrificial polysilicon layer 103 on the etch stop layer 102 (also see FIG. 1A). Sacrificial polysilicon layer 103 may border or abut the etch stop layer 102 in embodiments. According to embodiments, a thickness of the sacrificial polysilicon layer 103 may be between 300 Å and 1500 Å, between 400 Å and 1200 Å or between 500 Å and 1000 Å. The method 201 of forming a 3-d flash memory cell may further include forming a bottom portion of a compound stack of alternating silicon oxide 110 and silicon nitride 105 slabs and forming a bottom portion of a memory hole through the bottom portion of the compound stack. A memory hole may include between 30 and 90 pairs of slabs, between 35 and 75 pairs of slabs or between about 40 and about 60 pairs of slabs according to embodiments. The memory hole may have a width of between 350 Å and 3000 Å, between 500 Å and 2000 Å or between 700 Å and 1300 Å according to embodiments. The memory hole may have an aspect ratio (height to width) of between 15:1 and 50:1, between 20:1 and 40:1 or between 25:1 and 35:1 in embodiments. Several of the figures will show a smaller number of pairs to simplify the drawings and some will indicate a greater number of pairs of slabs through the use of ellipses.

The method may include filling the bottom portion of the compound stack with doped silicon oxide 190 (FIG. 1A). The method may further include forming a top portion of the compound stack of alternating silicon oxide 106-0 and silicon nitride 111-0 slabs to achieve the structure depicted in FIG. 1A. The method may further include forming a top portion of a memory hole through the top portion of the compound stack (see FIG. 1B) by, for example, reactive ion etching a pattern into the top portion of the compound stack to expose the doped silicon oxide 190. The reactive ion etching modifies the top portion of the compound stack of alternating silicon oxide 106 and silicon nitride 111 slabs shown in FIG. 1B. The bottom portion and the top portion of the compound stack are fluidly coupled and the top portion is laterally displaced from the bottom portion to form a shelf. The relative displacement in alignment between the bottom portion and the top portion may be at least 5 nm, at least 7.5 nm or at least 10 nm.

The method may further include selectively removing the doped silicon oxide 190 with a gas-phase etch which retains material in the alternating silicon oxide and silicon nitride slabs in each of the top portion and the bottom portion. The doped silicon oxide 190 may be doped with boron and/or phosphorus. A gas-phase etch is available from Applied Materials (Selectra™) which selectively removes doped silicon oxide while retaining silicon oxide (undoped) and silicon nitride as described in the course of describing exemplary equipment herein. The resulting structure is shown in FIG. 1C.

The method further includes forming 220 a conformal charge-trap layer 125 on the top portion and the bottom portion of the memory hole (see FIG. 1D). The conformal charge-trap layer 125 may be an ONO (oxide-nitride-oxide) layer comprising a first silicon oxide layer, a silicon nitride layer and a second silicon oxide layer. The conformal ONO layer 125 may include a first silicon oxide layer 126, a silicon nitride layer 127 and a second silicon oxide layer 128 as shown in a blow-up view in FIG. 1E. The thickness of conformal ONO layer 125 may be between 20 Å and 100 Å, between 25 Å and 80 Å or between 30 Å and 60 Å according to embodiments. The method further includes forming a conformal polysilicon layer 130 on the conformal charge-trap layer 125 as shown in FIG. 1E. The method further includes filling the memory hole with a dielectric fill 134 and capping the dielectric fill 134 with a polysilicon plug 135 and forming a mask 140 above the polysilicon plug 135 (see FIG. 1F). The dielectric fill 134 may be silicon oxide in embodiments. The mask 140 may be an amorphous carbon film, according to embodiments, such as advanced patterning film (APF™) available from Applied Materials, Santa Clara, Calif.

The method further includes patterning the mask 140 and etching 230 a vertical slit trench next to the memory hole to expose the etch stop layer 102 and leave a remaining portion of the sacrificial polysilicon layer 103-1 as shown in FIG. 1G. Etching operation 230 may be a reactive ion etch, in embodiments, which stops on the etch stop layer 102. The slit trench may have a width of between 500 Å and 4000 Å, between 800 Å and 3000 Å or between 1300 Å and 2300 Å according to embodiments. The slit trench may have an aspect ratio (height to width) of between 20:1 and 60:1, between 25:1 and 50:1 or between 30:1 and 40:1 in embodiments. In contrast, the memory hole may have a width of between 350 Å and 3000 Å, between 500 Å and 2000 Å or between 700 Å and 1300 Å according to embodiments. The memory hole may have an aspect ratio (height to width) of between 15:1 and 50:1, between 20:1 and 40:1 or between 25:1 and 35:1 in embodiments.

The method further includes replacing 240 the silicon nitride slabs in each of the top portion (silicon oxide 111-1) and the bottom portion (silicon oxide 110-1) of the compound stack with tungsten or another conductor as shown in FIG. 1H. Layered tungsten slabs 107 are shown in the bottom portion of the structure and layered tungsten slabs 108 are shown in the upper portion beginning in FIG. 1H after the replacement of silicon nitride slabs (110-1, 111-1). The silicon nitride slabs may be removed using a gas-phase etch (e.g. Selectra™) which selectively removes silicon nitride but leaves silicon oxide alone as described in the exemplary equipment discussion herein.

The method further includes removing (in operation 260) the remaining portion of the sacrificial polysilicon layer 103-1 to expose the conformal charge-trap layer 125. Etching operation 260 may proceed horizontally to remove the remaining portion of the sacrificial polysilicon layer 103-1, according to embodiments, until the conformal charge-trap layer 125 is exposed. The remaining portion of the sacrificial polysilicon layer 103-1 may be selectively removed using a highly selective gas-phase polysilicon etch (e.g. Selectra™ chamber etches described in the exemplary equipment portion herein and available from Applied Materials) in embodiments. The method further includes removing (in operation 270) the exposed portion of the conformal charge-trap layer 125-1 to expose the conformal polysilicon layer 130. The exposure of the conformal polysilicon layer 130 allows an electrical connection to be made to the channel polysilicon (conformal polysilicon layer 130) through the slit trench instead of through the substrate 101. The benefit of electrically accessing the channel polysilicon through the slit trench is the removal of a reactive ion etch to expose the substrate 101 at the bottom of the memory hole, which could damage the misaligned “step” near the middle of the memory hole.

Removing the exposed portion of the conformal charge-trap layer 125-1 (the vertical portion of the ONO layer near the bottom of the memory hole) may be performed by exciting a hydrogen-containing precursor and a fluorine-containing precursor in a remote plasma to form plasma effluents. The plasma effluents may be flowed into a substrate processing region through a showerhead. During an exemplary SiCoNi (Applied Materials) process, the patterned substrate is in the substrate processing region and a temperature of the patterned substrate may be maintained at more than 95° C. so no solid residue is formed which may stress the memory hole structure. In high temperature SiCoNi processes, no sublimation operation may be necessary. Another gas phase etch or sequence of etches may be used, for example, to selectively remove silicon oxide then silicon nitride and then silicon oxide again to complete the process (a Selectra chamber discussed below may be used in this case). The method further includes depositing (in operation 270) gapfill polysilicon 104 in the vertical slit trench to make electrical connection to the conformal polysilicon layer 130. The gapfill polysilicon makes electrical contact with the conformal polysilicon layer 130.

Hardware and processes may be selected to achieve the high etch selectivities which enable the aforementioned processes and devices. Additional detail about appropriate hardware and processes will now be presented. In embodiments, an ion suppressor (which may be the showerhead) may be used to provide radical and/or neutral species for gas-phase etching. The ion suppressor may also be referred to as an ion suppression element. In embodiments, for example, the ion suppressor is used to filter etching plasma effluents (including radical-fluorine) en route from the remote plasma region to the substrate processing region. The ion suppressor may be used to provide a reactive gas having a higher concentration of radicals than ions. Plasma effluents pass through the ion suppressor disposed between the remote plasma region and the substrate processing region. The ion suppressor functions to dramatically reduce or substantially eliminate ionic species traveling from the plasma generation region to the substrate. The ion suppressors described herein are simply one way to achieve a low electron temperature in the substrate processing region during the gas-phase etch processes described herein.

In embodiments, an electron beam is passed through the substrate processing region in a plane parallel to the substrate to reduce the electron temperature of the plasma effluents. A simpler showerhead may be used if an electron beam is applied in this manner. The electron beam may be passed as a laminar sheet disposed above the substrate in embodiments. The electron beam provides a source of neutralizing negative charge and provides a more active means for reducing the flow of positively charged ions towards the substrate and increasing the selectivity of silicon nitride in embodiments. The flow of plasma effluents and various parameters governing the operation of the electron beam may be adjusted to lower the electron temperature measured in the substrate processing region.

The electron temperature may be measured using a Langmuir probe in the substrate processing region during excitation of a plasma in the remote plasma. In embodiments, the electron temperature may be less than 0.5 eV, less than 0.45 eV, less than 0.4 eV, or less than 0.35 eV. These extremely low values for the electron temperature are enabled by the presence of the electron beam, showerhead and/or the ion suppressor. Uncharged neutral and radical species may pass through the electron beam and/or the openings in the ion suppressor to react at the substrate. Such a process using radicals and other neutral species can reduce plasma damage compared to conventional plasma etch processes that include sputtering and bombardment. Embodiments of the present invention are also advantageous over conventional wet etch processes where surface tension of liquids can cause bending and peeling of small features.

The substrate processing region may be described herein as “plasma-free” during the etch processes described herein. “Plasma-free” does not necessarily mean the region is devoid of plasma. Ionized species and free electrons created within the plasma region may travel through pores (apertures) in the partition (showerhead) at exceedingly small concentrations. The borders of the plasma in the chamber plasma region are hard to define and may encroach upon the substrate processing region through the apertures in the showerhead. Furthermore, a low intensity plasma may be created in the substrate processing region without eliminating desirable features of the etch processes described herein. All causes for a plasma having much lower intensity ion density than the chamber plasma region during the creation of the excited plasma effluents do not deviate from the scope of “plasma-free” as used herein.

FIG. 3A shows a cross-sectional view of an exemplary substrate processing chamber 1001 with partitioned plasma generation regions within the processing chamber. During film etching, e.g., silicon oxide or silicon nitride, etc., a process gas may be flowed into chamber plasma region 1015 through a gas inlet assembly 1005. A remote plasma system (RPS) 1002 may optionally be included in the system, and may process a first gas which then travels through gas inlet assembly 1005. The inlet assembly 1005 may include two or more distinct gas supply channels where the second channel (not shown) may bypass the RPS 1002, if included. Accordingly, in embodiments the precursor gases may be delivered to the processing chamber in an unexcited state. The process gas may be excited within the RPS 1002 prior to entering the chamber plasma region 1015. Accordingly, the fluorine-containing precursor as discussed above, for example, may pass through RPS 1002 or bypass the RPS unit in embodiments. Various other examples encompassed by this arrangement will be similarly understood.

A cooling plate 1003, faceplate 1017, ion suppressor 1023, showerhead 1025, and a substrate support 1065 (also known as a pedestal), having a substrate 1055 disposed thereon, are shown and may each be included according to embodiments. The pedestal 1065 may have a heat exchange channel through which a heat exchange fluid flows to control the temperature of the substrate. This configuration may allow the substrate 1055 temperature to be cooled or heated to maintain relatively low temperatures, such as between about −20° C. to about 200° C., or therebetween. The wafer support platter of the pedestal 1065 may also be resistively heated to relatively high temperatures, such as from up to or about 100° C. to above or about 1100° C.

In embodiments, the faceplate 1017 may be flat (as shown) and include a plurality of through-channels used to distribute process gases. Plasma generating gases and/or plasma excited species, depending on use of the RPS 1002, may pass through a plurality of holes, shown in FIG. 3B, in faceplate 1017 for a more uniform delivery into the chamber plasma region 1015.

Exemplary configurations may include having the gas inlet assembly 1005 open into a gas supply region 1058 partitioned from the chamber plasma region 1015 by faceplate 1017 so that the gases/species flow through the holes in the faceplate 1017 into the chamber plasma region 1015. Structural and operational features may be selected to prevent significant backflow of plasma from the chamber plasma region 1015 back into the supply region 1058, gas inlet assembly 1005, and fluid supply system 1010. The structural features may include the selection of dimensions and cross-sectional geometries of the apertures in faceplate 1017 to deactivate back-streaming plasma. The operational features may include maintaining a pressure difference between the gas supply region 1058 and chamber plasma region 1015 that maintains a unidirectional flow of plasma through the showerhead 1025. The faceplate 1017, or a conductive top portion of the chamber, and showerhead 1025 are shown with an insulating ring 1020 located between the features, which allows an AC potential to be applied to the faceplate 1017 relative to showerhead 1025 and/or ion suppressor 1023. The insulating ring 1020 may be positioned between the faceplate 1017 and the showerhead 1025 and/or ion suppressor 1023 enabling a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) to be formed in the first plasma region. A baffle (not shown) may additionally be located in the chamber plasma region 1015, or otherwise coupled with gas inlet assembly 1005, to affect the flow of fluid into the region through gas inlet assembly 1005.

The ion suppressor 1023 may comprise a plate or other geometry that defines a plurality of apertures throughout the structure that are configured to suppress the migration of ionically-charged species out of chamber plasma region 1015 while allowing uncharged neutral or radical species to pass through the ion suppressor 1023 into an activated gas delivery region between the suppressor and the showerhead. In embodiments, the ion suppressor 1023 may comprise a perforated plate with a variety of aperture configurations. These uncharged species may include highly reactive species that are transported with less reactive carrier gas through the apertures. As noted above, the migration of ionic species through the holes may be reduced, and in some instances completely suppressed. Controlling the amount of ionic species passing through the ion suppressor 1023 may provide increased control over the gas mixture brought into contact with the underlying wafer substrate, which in turn may increase control of the deposition and/or etch characteristics of the gas mixture. For example, adjustments in the ion concentration of the gas mixture can significantly alter its etch selectivity, e.g., SiO:Si etch ratios, SiN:Si etch ratios, etc.

The plurality of holes in the ion suppressor 1023 may be configured to control the passage of the activated gas, i.e., the ionic, radical, and/or neutral species, through the ion suppressor 1023. For example, the aspect ratio of the holes, or the hole diameter to length, and/or the geometry of the holes may be controlled so that the flow of ionically-charged species in the activated gas passing through the ion suppressor 1023 is reduced. The holes in the ion suppressor 1023 may include a tapered portion that faces chamber plasma region 1015, and a cylindrical portion that faces the showerhead 1025. The cylindrical portion may be shaped and dimensioned to control the flow of ionic species passing to the showerhead 1025. An adjustable electrical bias may also be applied to the ion suppressor 1023 as an additional means to control the flow of ionic species through the suppressor.

The ion suppression element 1023 may function to reduce or eliminate the amount of ionically charged species traveling from the plasma generation region to the substrate. Uncharged neutral and radical species may still pass through the openings in the ion suppressor to react with the substrate.

Showerhead 1025 in combination with ion suppressor 1023 may allow a plasma present in chamber plasma region 1015 to avoid directly exciting gases in substrate processing region 1033, while still allowing excited species to travel from chamber plasma region 1015 into substrate processing region 1033. In this way, the chamber may be configured to prevent the plasma from contacting a substrate 1055 being etched. This may advantageously protect a variety of intricate structures and films patterned on the substrate, which may be damaged, dislocated, or otherwise warped if directly contacted by a generated plasma. Additionally, when plasma is allowed to contact the substrate or approach the substrate level, the etch selectivity may decrease.

The processing system may further include a power supply 1040 electrically coupled with the processing chamber to provide electric power to the faceplate 1017, ion suppressor 1023, showerhead 1025, and/or pedestal 1065 to generate a plasma in the chamber plasma region 1015 or processing region 1033. The power supply may be configured to deliver an adjustable amount of power to the chamber depending on the process performed. Such a configuration may allow for a tunable plasma to be used in the processes being performed. Unlike a remote plasma unit, which is often presented with on or off functionality, a tunable plasma may be configured to deliver a specific amount of power to chamber plasma region 1015. This in turn may allow development of particular plasma characteristics such that precursors may be dissociated in specific ways to enhance the etching profiles produced by these precursors.

A plasma may be ignited either in chamber plasma region 1015 above showerhead 1025 or substrate processing region 1033 below showerhead 1025 in processes where “plasma-free” is not necessary. A plasma may be present in chamber plasma region 1015 to produce the radical-fluorine precursors from an inflow of the fluorine-containing precursor. An AC voltage typically in the radio frequency (RF) range may be applied between the conductive top portion of the processing chamber, such as faceplate 1017, and showerhead 1025 and/or ion suppressor 1023 to ignite a plasma in chamber plasma region 1015 during deposition. An RF power supply may generate a high RF frequency of 13.56 MHz but may also generate other frequencies alone or in combination with the 13.56 MHz frequency.

Plasma power can be of a variety of frequencies or a combination of multiple frequencies. In the exemplary processing system the plasma may be provided by RF power delivered to faceplate 1017 relative to ion suppressor 1023 and/or showerhead 1025. The RF power may be between about 10 watts and about 5000 watts, between about 100 watts and about 2000 watts, between about 200 watts and about 1500 watts, or between about 200 watts and about 1000 watts in embodiments. The RF frequency applied in the exemplary processing system may be low RF frequencies less than about 200 kHz, high RF frequencies between about 10 MHz and about 15 MHz, or microwave frequencies greater than or about 1 GHz in embodiments. The plasma power may be capacitively-coupled (CCP) or inductively-coupled (ICP) into the remote plasma region.

Excited effluents including radical fluorine formed from a fluorine-containing precursor, may be flowed into the processing region 1033 by embodiments of the showerhead described herein. Excited species derived from the process gas in chamber plasma region 1015 may travel through apertures in the ion suppressor 1023, and/or showerhead 1025 and react with an additional precursor flowing into the processing region 1033 from a separate portion of the showerhead. Alternatively, if all precursor species are being excited in chamber plasma region 1015, no additional precursors may be flowed through the separate portion of the showerhead. Little or no plasma may be present in the processing region 1033 during the remote plasma etch process in embodiments. Excited derivatives of the precursors may combine in the region above the substrate and/or on the substrate to etch structures or remove species from the substrate.

Some dry-etch processes involve the exposure of a substrate to remote plasma by-products formed from one or more precursors. Secondary precursors may be introduced directly into the substrate processing region without passing through the remote plasma. Selection of precursors results in an etch process which is selective of a specific material. For example, remote plasma generation of a fluorine precursor in combination with an oxygen precursor results in a selective etch of silicon nitride. In contrast, a remote plasma generation of a fluorine precursor and concurrent introduction of moisture directly into the substrate processing region results in a selective etch of silicon oxide at about room temperature. Doped silicon oxide may be selectively removed by combining radical-fluorine with moisture and maintaining the substrate temperature at about 60° C. rather than near room temperature. Specific examples of precursors will now be presented. In embodiments intended to preferentially etch doped or undoped silicon oxide, the fluorine-containing precursor may be nitrogen trifluoride and the secondary precursor (excited only by the radical-fluorine) may be water vapor (H₂O). Water vapor, when used, may be delivered using a mass flow meter (MFM), an injection valve, or by commercially available water vapor generators. Gaseous precursors may be delivered using mass flow controllers (MFC's). In embodiments intended to preferentially etch silicon nitride, the fluorine-containing precursor may be nitrogen trifluoride which may be combined with a second precursor and the mixture may be excited in a remote plasma. The second precursor in the mixture may be oxygen (02) or another oxygen-containing precursor. In embodiments intended to preferentially etch silicon (e.g. polysilicon), the fluorine-containing precursor may be nitrogen trifluoride which may be combined with a second precursor and the mixture may be excited in a remote plasma. The second precursor in the mixture may be hydrogen (H₂). Other combinations of precursors have been developed for each of the selective etches used herein, however, the combinations described are sufficient to enable the process flows.

FIG. 3B shows a detailed view of the features affecting the processing gas distribution through faceplate 1017. As shown in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B, faceplate 1017, cooling plate 1003, and gas inlet assembly 1005 intersect to define a gas supply region 1058 into which process gases may be delivered from gas inlet 1005. The gases may fill the gas supply region 1058 and flow to chamber plasma region 1015 through apertures 1059 in faceplate 1017. The apertures 1059 may be configured to direct flow in a substantially unidirectional manner such that process gases may flow into processing region 1033, but may be partially or fully prevented from backflow into the gas supply region 1058 after traversing the faceplate 1017.

The gas distribution assemblies such as showerhead 1025 for use in the processing chamber section 1001 may be referred to as dual channel showerheads (DCSH) and are additionally detailed in the embodiments described in FIG. 3A as well as FIG. 3C herein. The dual channel showerhead may provide for etching processes that allow for separation of etchants outside of the processing region 1033 to provide limited interaction with chamber components and each other prior to being delivered into the processing region.

The showerhead 1025 may comprise an upper plate 1014 and a lower plate 1016. The plates may be coupled with one another to define a volume 1018 between the plates. The coupling of the plates may be so as to provide first fluid channels 1019 through the upper and lower plates, and second fluid channels 1021 through the lower plate 1016. The formed channels may be configured to provide fluid access from the volume 1018 through the lower plate 1016 via second fluid channels 1021 alone, and the first fluid channels 1019 may be fluidly isolated from the volume 1018 between the plates and the second fluid channels 1021. The volume 1018 may be fluidly accessible through a side of the gas distribution assembly 1025. Although the exemplary system of FIGS. 3A-3C includes a dual-channel showerhead, it is understood that alternative distribution assemblies may be utilized that maintain first and second precursors fluidly isolated prior to the processing region 1033. For example, a perforated plate and tubes underneath the plate may be utilized, although other configurations may operate with reduced efficiency or not provide as uniform processing as the dual-channel showerhead as described.

In the embodiment shown, showerhead 1025 may distribute via first fluid channels 1019 process gases which contain plasma effluents upon excitation by a plasma in chamber plasma region 1015. In embodiments, the process gas introduced into the RPS 1002 and/or chamber plasma region 1015 may contain fluorine, e.g., CF₄, NF₃ or XeF₂. The process gas may also include a carrier gas such as helium, argon, nitrogen (N₂), etc. Plasma effluents may include ionized or neutral derivatives of the process gas and may also be referred to herein as a radical-fluorine precursor referring to the atomic constituent of the process gas introduced.

FIG. 3C is a bottom view of a showerhead 1025 for use with a processing chamber in embodiments. Showerhead 1025 corresponds with the showerhead shown in FIG. 3A. Through-holes 1031, which show a view of first fluid channels 1019, may have a plurality of shapes and configurations to control and affect the flow of precursors through the showerhead 1025. Small holes 1027, which show a view of second fluid channels 1021, may be distributed substantially evenly over the surface of the showerhead, even amongst the through-holes 1031, which may help to provide more even mixing of the precursors as they exit the showerhead than other configurations.

The chamber plasma region 1015 or a region in an RPS may be referred to as a remote plasma region. In embodiments, the radical precursor, e.g., a radical-fluorine precursor, is created in the remote plasma region and travels into the substrate processing region where it may or may not combine with additional precursors. In embodiments, the additional precursors are excited only by the radical-fluorine precursor. Plasma power may essentially be applied only to the remote plasma region in embodiments to ensure that the radical-fluorine precursor provides the dominant excitation.

Combined flow rates of precursors into the chamber may account for 0.05% to about 20% by volume of the overall gas mixture; the remainder being carrier gases. The fluorine-containing precursor may be flowed into the remote plasma region, but the plasma effluents may have the same volumetric flow ratio in embodiments. In the case of the fluorine-containing precursor, a purge or carrier gas may be first initiated into the remote plasma region before the fluorine-containing gas to stabilize the pressure within the remote plasma region. Substrate processing region 1033 can be maintained at a variety of pressures during the flow of precursors, any carrier gases, and plasma effluents into substrate processing region 1033. The pressure may be maintained between about 0.1 mTorr and about 100 Torr, between about 1 Torr and about 20 Torr or between about 1 Torr and about 5 Torr in embodiments.

Embodiments of the deposition systems may be incorporated into larger fabrication systems for producing integrated circuit chips. FIG. 4 shows one such processing system (mainframe) 1101 of deposition, etching, baking, and curing chambers in embodiments. In the figure, a pair of front opening unified pods (load lock chambers 1102) supply substrates of a variety of sizes that are received by robotic arms 1104 and placed into a low pressure holding area 1106 before being placed into one of the substrate processing chambers 1108 a-f. A second robotic arm 1110 may be used to transport the substrate wafers from the holding area 1106 to the substrate processing chambers 1108 a-f and back. Each substrate processing chamber 1108 a-f, can be outfitted to perform a number of substrate processing operations including the dry etch processes described herein in addition to cyclical layer deposition (CLD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), etch, pre-clean, degas, orientation, and other substrate processes.

The substrate processing chambers 1108 a-f may be configured for depositing, annealing, curing and/or etching a film on the substrate wafer. In one configuration, chambers 1108 a-b, may be configured to etch silicon nitride, chambers 1108 c-d may be configured to etch silicon oxide, and chambers 1108 e-f may be configured to etch silicon.

In the preceding description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous details have been set forth to provide an understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art, however, that certain embodiments may be practiced without some of these details, or with additional details.

As used herein “substrate” may be a support substrate with or without layers formed thereon. The patterned substrate may be an insulator or a semiconductor of a variety of doping concentrations and profiles and may, for example, be a semiconductor substrate of the type used in the manufacture of integrated circuits. Exposed “silicon” or “polysilicon” of the patterned substrate is predominantly Si but may include minority concentrations of other elemental constituents such as nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen and carbon. Exposed “silicon” or “polysilicon” may consist of or consist essentially of silicon. Exposed “silicon nitride” of the patterned substrate is predominantly Si₃N₄ but may include minority concentrations of other elemental constituents such as oxygen, hydrogen and carbon. “Exposed silicon nitride” may consist essentially of or consist of silicon and nitrogen. Exposed “silicon oxide” of the patterned substrate is predominantly SiO₂ but may include minority concentrations of other elemental constituents such as nitrogen, hydrogen and carbon. In embodiments, silicon oxide films etched using the methods taught herein consist essentially of or consist of silicon and oxygen.

The term “precursor” is used to refer to any process gas which takes part in a reaction to either remove material from or deposit material onto a surface. “Plasma effluents” describe gas exiting from the chamber plasma region and entering the substrate processing region. Plasma effluents are in an “excited state” wherein at least some of the gas molecules are in vibrationally-excited, dissociated and/or ionized states. A “radical precursor” is used to describe plasma effluents (a gas in an excited state which is exiting a plasma) which participate in a reaction to either remove material from or deposit material on a surface. “Radical-fluorine” are radical precursors which contain fluorine but may contain other elemental constituents. The phrase “inert gas” refers to any gas which does not form chemical bonds when etching or being incorporated into a film. Exemplary inert gases include noble gases but may include other gases so long as no chemical bonds are formed when (typically) trace amounts are trapped in a film.

The terms “gap” and “trench” are used throughout with no implication that the etched geometry has a large horizontal aspect ratio. Viewed from above the surface, trenches may appear circular, oval, polygonal, rectangular, or a variety of other shapes. A trench may be in the shape of a moat around an island of material. The term “via” is used to refer to a low aspect ratio trench (as viewed from above) which may or may not be filled with metal to form a vertical electrical connection. As used herein, an isotropic or a conformal etch process refers to a generally uniform removal of material on a surface in the same shape as the surface, i.e., the surface of the etched layer and the pre-etch surface are generally parallel. A person having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the etched interface likely cannot be 100% conformal and thus the term “generally” allows for acceptable tolerances.

Having disclosed several embodiments, it will be recognized by those of skill in the art that various modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of the disclosed embodiments. Additionally, a number of well-known processes and elements have not been described to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention. Accordingly, the above description should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention.

Where a range of values is provided, it is understood that each intervening value, to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upper and lower limits of that range is also specifically disclosed. Each smaller range between any stated value or intervening value in a stated range and any other stated or intervening value in that stated range is encompassed. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may independently be included or excluded in the range, and each range where either, neither or both limits are included in the smaller ranges is also encompassed within the invention, subject to any specifically excluded limit in the stated range. Where the stated range includes one or both of the limits, ranges excluding either or both of those included limits are also included.

As used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a process” includes a plurality of such processes and reference to “the dielectric material” includes reference to one or more dielectric materials and equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art, and so forth.

Also, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” “include,” “including,” and “includes” when used in this specification and in the following claims are intended to specify the presence of stated features, integers, components, or steps, but they do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, components, steps, acts, or groups. 

1. A method of forming a 3-d flash memory cell, the method comprising: forming an etch stop layer on a substrate; forming a sacrificial polysilicon layer on the etch stop layer; forming a bottom portion of a compound stack of alternating silicon oxide and silicon nitride slabs and forming a bottom portion of a memory hole through the bottom portion of the compound stack; forming a top portion of the compound stack of alternating silicon oxide and silicon nitride slabs and forming a top portion of a memory hole through the top portion of the compound stack, wherein the bottom portion and the top portion of the compound stack are fluidly coupled and the top portion is laterally displaced from the bottom portion; forming a conformal charge-trap layer on the top portion and the bottom portion of the memory hole; forming a conformal polysilicon layer on the conformal charge-trap layer; filling the memory hole with dielectric and capping the dielectric with a polysilicon plug and forming a mask above the polysilicon plug; patterning the mask and etching a vertical slit trench next to the memory hole to expose the etch stop layer and leave a remaining portion of the sacrificial polysilicon layer; replacing the silicon nitride slabs in each of the top portion and the bottom portion of the compound stack with a conductor; exposing the conformal charge-trap layer by removing the remaining portion of the sacrificial polysilicon layer to form an exposed portion of the conformal charge-trap layer; exposing the conformal polysilicon layer by removing the exposed portion of the conformal charge-trap layer; and depositing gapfill polysilicon in the vertical slit trench, wherein the gapfill polysilicon makes electrical contact with the remaining portion of the conformal polysilicon layer.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the conformal charge-trap layer is an ONO layer comprising a first silicon oxide layer, a silicon nitride layer and a second silicon oxide layer.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the top portion is laterally displaced from the bottom portion by at least 5 nm.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the etch stop layer comprises aluminum oxide.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the conductor is tungsten.
 6. The method of claim 1 wherein removing the remaining portion of the sacrificial polysilicon layer comprises a gas-phase etch.
 7. The method of claim 1 wherein removing the exposed portion of the conformal charge-trap layer is performed by exciting a hydrogen-containing precursor and a fluorine-containing precursor in a remote plasma to form plasma effluents.
 8. The method of claim 7 wherein the plasma effluents are flowed into a substrate processing region through a showerhead, wherein the substrate is in the substrate processing region and a temperature of the substrate is greater than 95° C.
 9. A method of forming a 3-d flash memory cell, the method comprising: forming an etch stop layer on a substrate; forming a polysilicon layer on the etch stop layer; forming a bottom portion of a compound stack of alternating silicon oxide and silicon nitride slabs and forming a bottom portion of a memory hole through the bottom portion of the compound stack; forming a top portion of the compound stack of alternating silicon oxide and silicon nitride slabs and forming a top portion of a memory hole through the top portion of the compound stack, wherein the bottom portion and the top portion of the compound stack are fluidly coupled and the top portion is misaligned relative to the bottom portion by a lateral displacement; forming a conformal charge-trap layer on the top portion and the bottom portion of the memory hole; forming a conformal polysilicon layer on the conformal charge-trap layer; filling the memory hole with dielectric and capping the dielectric with a polysilicon plug; exposing the etch stop layer by directionally etching a vertical slit trench next to the memory hole, wherein exposing the etch stop layer leaves a remaining portion of the polysilicon layer and the remaining portion of the polysilicon layer surrounds the bottom portion of the compound stack; exposing the conformal charge-trap layer by removing the remaining portion of the polysilicon layer, wherein exposing the conformal charge-trap layer forms an exposed portion of the conformal charge-trap layer; exposing the conformal polysilicon layer by removing the exposed portion of the conformal charge-trap layer; and depositing gapfill polysilicon in the vertical slit trench, wherein the gapfill polysilicon makes electrical contact with the remaining portion of the conformal polysilicon layer.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein directionally etching the vertical slit trench comprises reactive ion etching.
 11. The method of claim 9 wherein removing the remaining portion of the polysilicon layer comprises isotropically etching with a gas-phase etch.
 12. The method of claim 9 wherein the lateral displacement is 5 nm or more.
 13. The method of claim 9 wherein removing the remaining portion of the polysilicon layer comprises exciting both a fluorine precursor and a hydrogen precursor in a remote plasma to form plasma effluents and flowing the plasma effluents into a substrate processing region housing the substrate.
 14. The method of claim 9 wherein removing the exposed portion of the conformal charge-trap layer is performed by: 1) exposing the substrate to a combination of moisture and radical-fluorine to remove an outer silicon oxide layer of the conformal charge-trap layer, 2) exposing the substrate to plasma effluents formed from a fluorine-containing precursor and oxygen-containing precursor in a remote plasma to remove a silicon nitride layer of the conformal charge-trap layer, and 3) exposing the substrate to a combination of moisture and radical-fluorine to remove an inner silicon oxide layer of the conformal charge-trap layer.
 15. The method of claim 9 wherein the conformal charge-trap layer is continuous around the memory hole prior to removing the exposed portion of the conformal charge-trap layer.
 16. The method of claim 9 wherein the conformal polysilicon layer is continuous around the memory hole. 